Contagious Chemistry
by we4retheincrowd
Summary: I was annoyed by the lack of Clovniss fics so I decided to write one. If I don't update for a while just annoy me on twitter (@we4retheincrowd) and i'll most likely update.
1. Tigers and Sharks

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Katniss' POV

I stand on the chariot, and wait to get the Tribute Parade over and done with. Truth be told, I'm rather nervous about the whole "Girl on Fire" idea, because I'd rather not burn to death in front of the entire nation. Yes, you heard correctly. My stylist, Cinna, decided it would be a good idea to set my district partner and I on fire. The chariot has started to move now, and all of a sudden I'm engulfed in flames, and in front of a few thousand citizens of the Capitol, wanting to get a look at us tributes. I can hear several people calling my name. I decide to play along, blowing kisses and waving to the crowd. Someone even throws a rose at me, so I blow a kiss back in the general direction of the giver. Many people in the area attempt to catch the kiss, as if it is a tangible thing. I fight the urge to roll my eyes at the idiocy of the people of the Capitol. The chariot soon pulls into the square, and President Snow begins his annual Hunger Games speech. I try to pay attention, but can't help to let my mind wander to the fact I'm probably going to be dead in a few weeks. Due to the fact Peeta and I have outshone all of the other tributes, I'm almost certain a few of them will already be planning our deaths. I presume the President's speech is over by now, as our chariots are moving again and heading back into the Training Centre building. As I get down from the chariot, I see most of the other tributes in their ridiculous costumes, staring at us with hatred. My eyes wander across them all, until I get to the Careers. The girl from One, Glimmer, looks extremely jealous of my costume, as she's probably your average conceited female tribute, whose looks are the only thing going for her. These kinds of tributes are typical from District One. The boy, however, was rather tall and skinny, with muscle on his arms. I can tell by this that his weapon of choice is most likely a spear. The District Two tributes, however, look exceptionally angry at us. A monstrous blonde boy with at least 100 pounds of muscle packed on him seems like he wants to tear us apart right now. The girl stared at us, (mainly me) and smirked. That's confusing. Before I can figure out what it means, I'm being dragged away Haymitch and our District escort, Effie Trinket, and getting pushed into an elevator.


	2. When You Can't Sleep At Night

Katniss' POV

It's late. I'm pretty sure almost everyone is asleep. We've got three days of training starting tomorrow before we're all thrown into a brutal fight to the death. Fair, huh? My hatred for the Capitol seems to grow the more I think about it. I need to get out of this damn room and take a walk. I contemplate just walking around the apartment for a little while, but I decide on going to the roof. I get in the elevator and hit the button for floor 13, which I'm guessing is for the rooftop. I'm there in a matter of seconds, and when the elevator doors open I automatically feel a cool breeze hit me. I sit down and look at the view of the Capitol. Many people, cheering over the Games, chattering about their favourite tributes, as far as you can see.

"These people sicken me." I say aloud to myself.

"I'm with you there, Fire Girl."

I freeze. There's another tribute here. I consider leaving, but no doubt they could pin me down in seconds and kill me. Or worse, torture me and leave me helpless, ensuring my death in the Games. I turn to see exactly who it is, and just my luck, it's a Career tribute. I stare at her, trying not to make my fear obvious. But then I notice how adorable the girl was for a Career. She was smaller than most tributes. She has dark brown hair, much nicer than my own, and notice she has a few freckles strewn across her face. I make a mental note not to underestimate her. She's probably lethal, due to the fact she's from District Two. Their tributes win the Games almost every year. I realize that I'm staring at the girl,

"What do you mean?" I ask.

The girl from District Two sits down opposite me.

"I mean that I hate the Capitol citizens just as much as you, Twelve." she says.

"Oh." I say.

I go back to staring at the City Centre. Loathing the residents of the Capitol. I keep taking small glances at the girl across from me. Up close, she doesn't look too scary. I take note of her eyes. Green with little flecks of brown in. They're…beautiful. I end up getting lost in my thoughts about the girl from District Two. She spoke up, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"You'd better watch your back, District Twelve," she says, standing up. "Because I've got killing you at the top of my to-do list."

The girl smirked, before getting into the elevator and going down to her own floor. I shudder, the Career's threat still hanging in the air, before getting in the elevator myself. I exit on my floor, and lay back down in my bed, the idea of sleep long gone, replaced by thoughts of the girl from District Two.

Clove's POV

I wake up in the middle of the night, and decide to go exploring. I can't help but think about earlier at the Tribute's Parade. The District Twelve rats literally outshone us all. I'm going to kill them. And when I do, it's going to be slow and painful. I smirked, imagining the "Girl on Fire" being maimed by my knives. I'm looking forward to tomorrow, though. Intimidating tributes with my skill in knife throwing should be fun. I figure I'll go to the roof, and get some fresh air. I casually walk to the elevator and press number 13, and get there instantly. As soon as I arrive, I can tell that I'm not alone. To my annoyance, Fire Girl is already here.

"These people sicken me." she mutters. I can't say I disagree.

"I'm with you there, Fire Girl." I respond. I almost laugh at her reaction. She tenses up quite a lot. She obviously didn't notice me come out off the elevator. Idiot. She turns, and looks at me with mainly fear. I can't help but see something else in her facial expression, something unreadable. She speaks up.

"What do you mean?" I almost roll my eyes at the question. She really is stupid.

"I mean that I hate the Capitol citizens just as much as you, Twelve." I say bitterly.

She then goes back to staring at the Capitol residents. I can't help but do the same. It's sickening, the way they bring us here, treat us with luxury for a few days, and then throw us into some insane arena to kill one another. I smirk. I might as well get some intimidation done early.

"You'd better watch your back, District Twelve," I say before getting up to leave. "Because I've got killing you at the top of my to-do list." I really can't wait until I can cross that deed off. It'll be fun, I think. I stroll into the elevator, and wink at Fire Girl before the doors close. I head back to my room, jump in the bed and fall into a sleep full of dreams about myself severely injuring the "Girl on Fire."


	3. What Are You So Scared Of?

Katniss' POV

The first thing I heard when I wake up is Effie knocking on my door, informing me of another "big, big day!" I then realize that we've got training today. Great, an entire day spent with the Careers showing off with their weapons. I was tempted to not show up, but after I've finished my breakfast, Effie comes up behind Peeta and I and shoves us into an elevator. She follows us in afterwards, presses the button for the Training Centre and in a matter of seconds, the elevator shoots down and we're there. Peeta and I nervously walk into the Training Rooms, where all the other tributes have gathered in a bunch in front of a woman named Atala. She explains the basic rules of training, and then lets us all get on with whatever we want. Peeta and I stroll over to the empty knot-tying station to work on some basic snares and traps. The trainer is rather impressed by my snares, as I've done a lot of these before from my days in the woods. He teaches us a trap which an leave an enemy hanging from one leg from a tree, which Peeta and I master with ease. I look up and see the girl from District Two at the knife station. Every single knife she throws hits the target, which worried me quite a lot. She could kill me with a flick of her wrist. I end up getting lost in my thoughts about her again before I notice the shadow towering over me.

"Intrigued, Fire Girl?" she sneers, scowling at me.

"What?" I ask quietly, realizing how much this girl frightens me. I also may have a teeny crush on her, but she doesn't need to know that.

"Considering you were staring at me for a good five minutes, I'd presume you were trying to figure out the competition, and I'd rather you'd stop that, Twelve." she says bitterly.

I stand up, and it must seem like I'm about to start a fight, because Peeta grabs my arm and tries to pull me away. Just as I'm about to snap, the girl's district partner, Cato, calls her over.

"Clove!" he yells from across the room.

She shoots me one last glare, and if looks could kill, I'd be dead. She turns and stalks back off to her little Career pack and they saunter into the lunch room just as the bell rings. I decide to stay back for a little extra training, and as soon as the room is empty, I head for my precious bow and arrows.

Clove's POV

For some strange reason, I couldn't get Katniss Everdeen out of my head. Of course, each time she came into my head, there would be some elaborate fantasy of me killing her, but then, no matter how much she died in my imagination, she would always come back. I can feel her eyes burning a hole in the back of my head at this very moment. Those perfect grey eyes. I shake myself of these strange thoughts and try to get back to training. But then I get an even better idea. I nonchalantly stroll over to where she's situated at the knot-tying station.

"Intrigued, Fire Girl?" I sneer.

"What?" she asks. I can tell she's afraid of me. She should be.

"Considering you were staring at me for a good five minutes, I'd presume you were trying to figure out the competition, and I'd rather you'd stop that, Twelve." I say, adding a bitter tone for effect.

She stands, and I finally think I'm going to get something out of her, when Cato calls for me. I sigh mentally, glare at Fire Girl and walk off back to Cato, Marvel and Glimmer. The bell for lunch rings and we all go into the canteen. I finish my food in about five minutes, so I choose to go back and train some more. What I see when I get there, though, is a surprise. As soon as I walk into the Training Rooms, the first thing I see in Fire Girl with a bow and arrow, hitting targets with ease.

"Not bad, Fire Girl." I say.

She turns, her eyes wide with fear.

"I don't see why you're hiding a skill like that. It'll get you a good score with the Gamemakers." I continue.

"You can't tell anyone." she says.

"I won't." I reassured her. I mentally slapped myself for being pleasant to her. She looked at me, clearly confused with my sudden change of attitude. She continues to stare at me, and a small smile appears on her face. I frown.

"What are you smiling at?" I ask her.

"You." she replies.

Now it's my turn to be confused.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"I don't know, Clove." she says.

She starts to walk towards me, and soon enough we're face to face. She starts to lean in, when the bell signalling the end of lunch rings. I quickly walk off, and about a minute later, the other tributes begin to pile back into the Training Centre. We continue to train throughout the afternoon, until our escorts pick us up and take us back to our separate floors.


	4. Kiss and Tell

Katniss' POV

I'm nervous. I'm about to go in for the Gamemaker's evaluation. I hear the robotic voice call my name, telling me I'm free to "show off" for the Gamemakers. I sigh and stand up.

"Hey Katniss." says Peeta, "shoot straight."

I nod in return and walk into the training rooms. I pick up a bow, and go over to the targets. The Gamemakers all turn to watch. I become even more nervous than I was before. I think of the arena, I think of Prim, Gale, Mother. Then, all of a sudden, my mind wanders to Clove. She'd surely be mocking my nervousness right now. That somehow gave me the courage to shoot. But the arrow was a good half a metre away from the bull's-eye. The Gamemakers all laughed behind me, and made me angry. The next thing I know is that there's an arrow flying at an apple in the mouth of a roast pig. A roast pig next to Seneca Crane's head.

I storm back onto our floor and sit in my room, wanting to slap myself in the face for what I'd just done. I contemplate it for a while, and realize that the only thing they can actually do to me is make my life hell in the arena, which it's probably already going to be anyway. I walk to the elevator, deciding to get some fresh air. I press the button for the roof, and feel the familiar cool breeze hit me as the elevator doors open. My eyes automatically go to the small figure sat by the edge, staring down at the Capitol.

"Clove." I greet her.

"Katniss." she replies.

"You know my name?" I ask in shock.

"How could I not?" she says sarcastically.

I laugh at this, and she looks up. I see a hint of a smile on her face, which made me even happier, forgetting about the scenario with the Gamemakers. It pops back in my mind soon enough, though, and I frown.

"What's with the sudden mood change?" asks Clove.

"I could ask you the same thing." I say.

"Very funny. Seriously, though." she responds.

"I screwed up with the Gamemakers." I admit.

"How so?" asks Clove.

"I shot an arrow at Seneca Crane's head." I say.

Her reaction was not what I expected. She bursts into uncontrollable laughter, and when she calms down enough to talk, she tells me to "lighten up."

"Lighten up? How the hell am I supposed to lighten up, Clove?" I ask her.

"Think about it. You shooting an arrow at the Head Gamemaker's head, shows guts. They like that. You'll get a good score. Trust me." she explains.

"You really think so?" I ask childishly

"Yep." she says.

We sit in silence for a little while, me sneaking glances at her every chance I get, taking in every single on of her features. She stands up, and stretches.

"Where are you going?" I ask rather frantically.

"To watch the scores get announced." she replies.

"Oh." I say.

"I take it you're not watching it, huh?" she says.

"Nope. I'll probably get a zero or something, then I'll never get sponsors." I reply.

I stand and throw my arms around her, hugging her.

"Thank you for being there for me, Clove." I whisper in her ear.

I let go of her, and she looks at me, confused. The next thing I know, my lips are on hers.

Clove's POV

She's kissing me. I stand there, frozen, not knowing whether to kiss her back or push her away. I choose the latter.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, District Twelve?!" I yell, not caring who hears me.

She stared back at me, looking hurt.

"Kissing you." she says quietly, looking down at her feet. The fear is back. Good.

"And why the fuck did you decide to do that?!" I continue, pushing past her and storming back to the elevator.

"I-I don't know." she stutters, tears filling her eyes.

I press the button that makes the elevator doors shut, and the last thing I see is the image of Katniss, crying alone on the roof. I suddenly feel a pang of guilt hit me.

I sit with Cato in the living room area of our floor, watching the scores get televised. Glimmer scores an 8, Marvel scores a 9.

"Clove. District Two." says Caesar.

I freeze.

"With a score of…10."

My muscles relax, knowing I did rather well. Cato also scored a 10. The tributes from the other districts passed on, none of them getting any high scores. The small girl, Rue from District 11 got a 7, and her district partner, Thresh got a 9. I started paying attention as District Twelve's scores were being announced.

"Peeta, District Twelve, with a score of 8." I frown, wondering what got him a reasonably high score.

"Katniss, District Twelve. With a score of," Caesar looks at his sheet of paper in surprise. "11." he finishes.

Cato all of a sudden got some extreme fit of rage, and started running around the room breaking things. I silently slip into the elevator and go up to the roof. Luckily, Katniss was still there, sitting by the edge. I quietly walk over and tap her on the shoulder. She stares at me.

"Clove. What do you want?" she asks harshly.

"Just came to tell you the news, Everdeen." I say back nonchalantly.

"What news?" she asks.

"You got an eleven." I respond.

She jumps up and hugs me.

"Seriously?!" she says happily.

"Yep." I reply. Then, as much as a shock to me as it was for her, I kiss her.


	5. Let Love Bleed Red

Clove's POV

I don't know how long we stay up here, kissing. All I know is that I like it. I pull away from her, and she frowns a little, with a sad look in her eyes.

"No, I'm not going to yell at you." I answer to her unspoken question.

She smiles, leaning in and kissing me again. This time, she pulls away.

"Am I still at the top of your kill list?" she asks, staring at me intently.

"Of course not, Fire Girl." I reply with a smile. She sighs.

"What's wrong, Katniss?" I ask, scaring myself with the genuine worry in my voice. I don't want her to be sad.

"Everything." she admits. "The arena, my sister, you."

"Me?" I ask.

"Yes. I can't help but be scared that as soon as we get into the arena, you're going to-." she doesn't have time to finish her sentence, as I lean in and kiss her, stopping the flow of words coming from her mouth.

"Don't think like that." I say.

She smiles at me, reassured by the kiss.

"I won't." she replies.

I take note of how late it seems to be getting and I stand up. She looks at me with confusion, until I hold out my hand for her to take. I help her up, and we walk hand in hand to the elevator.

"We have to keep this a secret, Katniss." I say.

She sighs.

"I know. Although if it helps, I'm ready to scream across the rooftops about how I've fallen for you." she says.

I grin at that, and she does too. We both step into the elevator, and part ways once we get to her floor. Before the doors open, she kisses me on the cheek.

"Goodnight, Clove." she says

"Night, Katniss." I respond.

Katniss' POV (Next day)

Tonight, each tribute has a separate interview with Caesar Flickerman. I can't help but feel nervous yet again. Cinna is continuing with the whole "Girl on Fire" angle, which worried me some, as the other tributes already hate me from my entrance at the Tribute Parade. I think about last night with Clove.

_Does she really care about me? Or is she just stringing me along so I'm easy prey in the arena? _If she was, that would be terrible, considering how much I've fallen for the Girl with the Knives. Although, last night she seemed to genuinely care when I had my suspicions. I want to talk to her badly, and ask her how she really feels. I remember what she'd said, though.

"_We have to keep this a secret."_

But what is this? Are we friends? Lovers? I really have no idea. I sigh. It seems like I'm doing this a lot.

_Why did I have to fall in love here, of all places?! _I think. Cinna walks into the room with my dress, and instructs me to put it on and meet him downstairs so he can take me to where all the other tributes will be waiting for their interviews. I slowly unzip the bag my dress is contained in. It's fire themed, with colours of red, orange and yellow. It also, when the person whom is wearing the dress spins around, gives off the illusion of said person being engulfed in flames. I carefully step into it, and zip the back up slowly. I walk out of my room and meet Cinna, who escorts me downstairs and into the waiting rooms. Only a few tributes are here. The pair from 3, the girl from 8 and myself. Slowly but surely, the rest of the tributes begin to show up. Almost everyone is here now, aside from the Careers. Typical. I roll my eyes and almost laugh at how idiotic the Career tributes can be. Then I remember that Clove is a Career.

_She's smart, though. She's not like them. _I think. As soon as the younger girl crosses my mind, however, she enters the room with her district partner. She looks flawless in her interview dress. She has her hair tied back and only a small amount of make-up on. I sit there, staring at her, when her and her district partner stride over to me, and sit on each side of me. Clove subtly grabs my hand and squeezes it reassuringly, before letting go and becoming the sadistic Career she is in the waking world.

"Like what you see, huh, District Twelve?" she says, mockingly.

"Of course she does, Clove." Cato says, "She's wishing she had your skill, so she can actually last more than ten minutes in the arena."

"Ten minutes?" says Clove. "I bet she won't even last five."

"Katniss, are they bothering you?" asks Peeta.

I hadn't even noticed he was there. Just proves how distracting Clove is.

"Yes." I reply.

"And what are you going to do about it, Mellark?" spits Cato.

Clove raises her eyebrows, watching the scene play out in front of us.

"I'm going to ask you to leave, before I get the Peacekeepers." says Peeta bluntly.

Cato and Clove both laugh at this.

"Are you being serious?" Cato says.

"Yes, I am. Now, kindly leave Katniss alone, and go back to doing whatever it is you Careers do." Peeta says, calmly.

Cato stands up, glares and Peeta and I, and leaves, clearly forgetting his district partner, who was sitting on my right.

"You, too." Peeta says, looking at Clove.

"No, thanks. I'm rather comfortable. I think I'll stay for a little while." says Clove.

And with that, Peeta stalks off to find the Peacekeepers.

"Good luck tonight." says Clove.

"You too." I say.

There's silence for a little while, but then I speak up.

"Clove, what was all that about last night?" I ask.

"I don't actually know. I do know that I care about you a lot, though." she answers. She smirks.

"I've got to get back to Cato." she says, before swiftly getting up and leaving. About five minutes later, Peeta arrives back.

"I couldn't find any Peacekeepers." he says.

Before I can answer, Caesar Flickerman is opening the show, and already introducing the first tribute. Glimmer, the girl from District One's name is called, and she gets up and walks towards the stage. I don't pay attention to District One's interview, but then Clove is called up, and my attention is pulled back to the screen. She aces her interview with her sarcastic humour, and leaves to a big cheer from the audience. As soon as she leaves, I stop paying attention. Next thing I know, my name is being called and I'm getting pushed towards the stage.

Clove's POV

I see Katniss walking out onto the stage. She's clearly nervous. I just want to run out there and hug her, and tell her everything is going to be okay. Caesar helps her onto one of the chairs and sits down, asking her basic questions. He asks her about her sister, and she immediately becomes uncomfortable, obviously not wanting to talk about Prim in front of the entire nation of Panem.

"What did you say to her, when you left?" Caesar asks.

"I told her that I would try to win for her." Katniss says quietly.

Then, the buzzer rings, signalling the end of Katniss' interview.

"I'm afraid, that's all the time we have, folks," Caeser says. "Ladies and Gentlemen, the lovely Katniss Everdeen, from District Twelve!"

She leaves to a tremendous applause, and I can hear Cato muttering in rage next to me, which, I have to admit, is pretty funny. Katniss walks into the room and receives a death glare from Cato. Her eyes widen with fear and she sits as far away from us as possible. Cato tugs on my arm, pulling me towards her.

"Well, hello, Girl on Fire." mocks Cato.

"Leave me alone." she states slowly.

"Don't worry, we won't be here for too long. Your little district partner might tell mommy on us again." says Cato.

Neither myself nor Katniss are paying attention to him. Up on the television screens, the words "star-crossed lovers from District Twelve" are flashing across the screen. Cato's rage gets the best of him, and he starts running around, screaming something about murdering the District Twelve rats. My rage, however, somehow manages to stay on the inside. I can't help but hate Loverboy, and I can't help but hate Katniss Everdeen, the Girl On Fire.


	6. Brick By Boring Brick

Katniss' POV

I sit, trying to process my surroundings. Cato and Clove, in front of me, most likely making fun of me. Other tributes milling about the room, some watching the TV, others just staring off into space. Peeta Mellark, my district partner, announcing he's in love with me. On national television. This is what has sent me into this state of confusion. I see Cato storm off and break a table, screaming about killing me. Great. Clove is stood in front of me, staring at me with an expression filled with hatred. I run off, in tears, and head for the roof. I jump into the elevator, and repeatedly press the button, just wanting to get out of there and be alone. When the familiar cool breeze hits me, I exit the elevator and traipse over to my usual spot near the edge of the rooftop, near the railings. I look down at the Capitol in disgust. Is this what would become of me if I win the Games? I hope not. I try and go over recent events in my head, but everything was just going blank. The initial shock of what Peeta had said has gone, now, leaving my mind exceptionally numb. I stare at the elevator, hoping Clove would show up. I'm almost certain she won't, and that I'm probably at the top of her kill list again. I think about tomorrow. If I die, what will happen to Prim? if mother goes back into depression, Prim is sure to starve. I also don't want her seeing me get killed. Knowing her, she'll think it's her fault, for herself getting reaped, and myself volunteering. And an added bonus, if my death is at the hand of a Career, specifically Cato, the probability of it being quick and painless is very low. My trail of thoughts somehow ends up on Peeta again. I think about how I want to talk to Clove, and explain to her that I don't feel that way about Peeta. My thoughts stop, however, when the elevator door opens. I look up to see a very angry Clove stood staring down at me. I feel small and defenceless against her, so I go to stand up.

"No need for that, Twelve." she says abruptly.

I shrink back down to where I was sat before she came.

"I came to inform you of something." she continues. "A warning, somewhat. As soon as we get in that arena, don't think I'm going to show you any mercy. I'm going to hunt you down, and kill you slowly, putting your insides on the outside. Got that, Twelve?"

I gulp, stand up and walk towards her. I softly pick up her hand, intertwining our fingers. She looks at me, still angry, and I kiss her gently. I pull away.

"Do what you have to do, Clove. I won't fight back, because I could never hurt you. I love you." I whisper, before walking off, and leaving her stood there, dumbfounded. When I get back to my floor, I walk past Effie, Haymitch and Peeta, who are all sat around the dining table.

"It's not ladylike to disappear and not tell anybody, Katniss." says Effie, disgusted by my "lack of manners". Haymitch, drunk as always, tells me I look depressing today, and I should "have a shot of vodka." Whatever that means.

"Katniss, I-" Peeta starts, but he doesn't get to finish because I've already slammed him against a wall.

"Look, Mellark. I know your little stunt back there was probably just to get sponsors, but I don't like nor care about you. Understand?" I snarl.

Haymitch and Effie manage to pull me off Peeta, and start to question me. I ignore their questions, and stomp off to my bedroom, slamming the door. I sit on the bed, and run a hand through my hair. My entire body is shaking with…what? Rage? Fear? Whatever it is, I dislike it greatly. I get changed into a pair of silk pyjamas and lay down in an attempt to get some rest. Failed attempt, should I say. Nightmarish fantasies fill my head about the Games, Clove's threat, and Prim's fate if I lose. I end up fretting over silly little things I'd conjured up in my befuddled mind, before eventually dropping off into a terrible hallucination of what would happen if Cato and Clove got their hands on me.


	7. Let The Flames Begin

Katniss' POV

Sixty seconds. That's how long we have to wait on our metal plates, before getting released into what's sure to be a full scale bloodbath. I take in my surroundings. Woods! My survival chances have just been increased by a lot. I see Clove, stood on her metal plate, eyes on a jacket lined with an impressive array of knives. I wonder which one she'll use to kill me. That's when I see them. A magnificent bow with a sheath of arrows. I know they're meant for me. I decide on going in for the bow, when I see Peeta, a few plates down from me. He's looking straight at me, shaking his head. While I'm busy dwelling on this, the gong rings and I miss my chance. I see Peeta, running off into the woods without even trying to get supplies. I'd hate to leave the Cornucopia with nothing, and I see an orange backpack on the ground near a rock. I shoot off towards it, pick it up and attempt to run off, when I trip over. I go to get up when I see the boy from District Nine stood over me. He raises his axe, and is about to strike, when he coughs up blood and falls to the ground. I then see a knife stuck in his back, and look up in the direction of his assailant. I see her. Clove stares at me, knife readied to throw. I jump up, turn tail and run. I hear the knife coming towards my back, and run even faster. I feel a pressure at my back, and I think I'm going to randomly drop dead any second. I continue to run in my panic, and only when the screams of the bloodbath have faded out into the distance, do I stop to examine the contents of the pack. I take it off my back, and I'm greeted with a pleasant surprise. I see a rather large knife sticking out of the middle of the backpack. Clove never misses, and I convince myself her intentions were to give me the weapon so I'll have something to defend myself with. Either that, or she genuinely was trying to kill me, and her aim was off. Nonetheless, I pull the knife out of my backpack and place it in my belt. I unzip the backpack, and lay out the things that will possibly make the difference between life and death out. A pair of sunglasses, a sleeping bag, a bottle of iodine for water purifying, a pack of beef strips, a pack of crackers, a box of matches, a small coil of wire, and a two litre bottle for water that's completely empty. Bone dry. How hard would it have been for them to fill up the bottle?! I sigh, and decide to get moving again, I stand up, and the cannons representing each tribute death go off. Twelve cannons. Half of the tributes are already dead. I start to worry about Clove, hoping she survived the bloodbath. She's a Career, so it's not like I should worry too much. She has Cato and Glimmer and Marvel watching her back. I think about Peeta. The thought of him gone, and already in a wooden box, being shipped home somehow worries me. It's not like I hate Peeta, yes, I was angry about him announcing he's in love with me and ruining whatever Clove and I had, and stopping me from going in for the bow and arrows, but it's not like I wish him dead. I set off walking, water being my top priority. I keep descending into a valley, and I try to remember my knowledge about finding water. I remember it runs downstream, so the valley is probably a good thing. I stop, and consider going back to the lake, but it'll be Career central down there, so I continue. I carry on strolling deeper and deeper into the valley, and realize how hungry I am. Evening is closing in, and with my hunger and thirst, walking is almost unbearable. But it's going to be worse if I don't find water. I pull my knife out of my belt, and cut away at the outside of a tree, and peel off some of the soft bark. I chew on it whilst walking, until finally giving in to my tiredness. I set a few snares before climbing up in a tree, and belting myself in. As night falls, the temperature drops rapidly, and I'm thankful for the sleeping bag. The anthem begins to boom, and I look up at the sky. I swallow, as the faces of the dead tributes start to show in the sky. The first to appear is the girl from District 3, meaning Clove was alive. I let out a sigh of relief. Even though she hates me now, I still care about her. Next up are the tributes from 4, the boy from 5, both from 6 and 7, the boy from 8, both from 9. The last tribute is the girl from District 10. So, Peeta was alive. I go through the remaining tributes. Glimmer, Marvel, Cato, Clove, the boy from 3, Foxface, the girl from 8, the boy from 10, Thresh, Rue, Peeta and I. I can't help but be happy that little Rue got through the first day. Now, I try to get some rest.

I wake up, hearing a snapping noise. It's still dark, and I wonder how long I've been asleep. I turn my head in the direction of the noise, and see a small fire blooming in the distance. I pair of hands come into view over the fire, but that's all I can make out. It's hard not to hate the fire starter. Yes, it's cold, and not everyone has a sleeping bag or a blanket, but you grit your teeth and tough it out until morning! I roll my eyes, and try to get some sleep, but can't, due to the other tribute's stupidity making me paranoid. The Careers will no doubt be hunting tributes, with weapons they're itching to use. Then I hear it. Several pairs of feet breaking out into a run. The fire starter starts to scream, begging the Careers for mercy. The screaming is suddenly cut short, and then there's laughter.

"Thirteen down, Eleven to go!" cheers Glimmer, who gets a round of hoots and laughter in response.

"Better clear out before she starts stinking." says Cato.

I sigh, hoping they're going to leave, and hear them coming my way. The Careers stop underneath my tree, and I don't even dare to breathe, in case they hear me.

"Shouldn't we have heard a cannon by now?" says Marvel.

"I'd say yes. Nothing to prevent them from going in immediately." Clove replies.

If only I could talk to her. I want to jump down from this tree right now and hug her, and apologize for what Peeta did to our…friendship? Relationship? I really don't know.

"Unless she isn't dead." says Marvel.

"She's dead. I stuck her myself." says Cato.

"Then where's the cannon?" says Marvel.

"I'm telling you, she's dead, I'm sure of it." yells Cato.

"Maybe we should go back and check." says Clove.

A very loud argument breaks out, until one tribute hushes them all.

"If you keep arguing, you'll notify everyone in the arena of our whereabouts. I'll go finish her and you can hunt more people!"

I almost fall out of the tree, because that voice belongs to my fellow "star-crossed lover." That voice belongs to Peeta Mellark.


	8. My Understandings

Katniss POV

I can't help but feel betrayed by Peeta. He's crossed the line. That's the last straw. I decide I don't care whether he dies or not, and I actually find I'm anticipating the moment in pleasure. My eyes go back down to the Career pack when Marvel speaks up.

"Was she dead?" he asks.

A cannon booms in response.

"Let's get out of here." says Cato, walking off, leading the way. Marvel, Glimmer and Peeta follow him, and Clove turns, and sees me. She stands, staring for a moment. I know she's got me trapped, and she could easily come and kill me right now. She knows it too. The rest of the Careers are long gone, now, having run off in search for other tributes. Cato calls her from the distance, and she looks in the general direction of the noise.

"Enjoy the knife." she says, before running off in search for the rest of the Career pack. _So she doesn't hate me!_ I smile at the thought we might have a chance at getting back what we had before the Games, but then I remember only one gets out alive, and my smile fades. _We'll figure something out, _I think. I fall to sleep, happy with the knowledge that Clove doesn't wish me dead.

When I wake up, the world is on fire. Literally. I scramble down from my tree and run as fast as humanely possible. I'm guessing the wall of fire is to drive me towards something, most likely the Careers. I try to double back, not feeling up to running straight towards Cato's sword, Marvel's spear, or Clove's knives. I know she won't actually use them, but it's intimidating nonetheless. I hear the first fire ball on my right, and duck quickly. The second, I have to throw myself on the floor to steer clear of. The third time, however, I'm not as lucky. The fire catches my calf, and I feel an agonizing burning sensation. I drop and roll on the leaves, and quickly scurry behind a boulder. The pain is immense. I want to examine the wound, but I don't have any more time when I see the fourth fire ball coming towards me. I lunge out of the way, and end up falling down a hill. I crash through the bushes, and see a pool of water. I submerge myself, and when I clamber out I fill my bottle and purify it with the iodine. I slowly take sips, as well as pour some on my wound. The burn is bad. Worse than bad, actually. It's horrific. The pain is blinding, but when I hear the Careers' arrogant cheers, I don't hesitate to run.

Clove's POV

I'm relieved Katniss is alive. I saw her, last night, listening to our conversation. I had to stop my laughter when she'd found out Loverboy is with us. It's quite amusing, how Cato and the others believe he's turned on her. He's quite the liar, yes, but it's obvious he cares for her. Marvel starts yelling.

"Hey, look! Guys! There she is!"

I look to where he's pointing, and see Katniss running away. The other Careers begin to chase after her. If she's caught, she won't stand a chance. She doesn't have a weapon aside from the knife I threw to her, as far as I know. Loverboy would probably help out, but he's not much of a fighter as far as I know. As for me, I'd have to fend of Cato, Marvel and Glimmer. Even though I could kill all three with a flick of my wrist, being in a team with a boy who can't hurt a fly, and a bow and arrowless Katniss, I'm sure we'd be pretty screwed. We chase Katniss to the bottom of a tree, one of which she's already halfway up.

"I'm coming for you!" says Cato, as he begins to climb.

Marvel and Glimmer begin to cheer him on, and, being a Career, I have to join in. I don't want to. Trust me. Cato gets about halfway up the tree and grabs a branch that doesn't support his body weight. It snaps and he falls. Marvel and I try to suppress our laughter, and Glimmer starts fussing over him, and asks him if he's okay. He stands up, and dusts himself off. Glimmer grabs an arrow, positions it in the bow and shoots, missing. It's clear she's incompetent with a bow, and is probably only in the Games because she's so self-absorbed she actually thinks she stands a chance. I scoff, and see Loverboy giving me a glare. I roll my eyes and stare up at Katniss. _She's injured, _I think as I see her leg. She has a large burn on her calf. I wince. Loverboy is still looking at me, this time with confusion. I ignore him. Cato grabs Glimmer's bow and arrows from her and attempts to shoot Katniss, which he fails at. Loverboy's facial expression changes to something unreadable. I think he's figured out I could climb the tree easily and kill her. I hope he won't bring it up. I doubt he will, considering he's hopelessly in love with Katniss. _That makes two of us._ Yes, I've come to the realization that I'm in love with her. It sounds crazy, a Career falling for someone from District Twelve, but it's true. I am in love with Katniss Everdeen.

"Why don't we just wait her out." says Loverboy.

Everyone turns and looks at him.

"She's got to come down sometime. It's that or starve to death." he says.

"He's got a point, you know." I say.

Now, everyone's attention, (and I'm pretty sure most of the cameras) is on me.

"Okay," says Cato. "We're going hunting. Clove, stay here and watch the District Twelve rats."

Cato, Glimmer and Marvel all walk off, and I sit down at the trunk of the opposite tree and sigh.

"Why didn't you climb it?" asks Loverboy.

"What?" I snap.

"The tree. You could easily have climbed it. Why didn't you?" he continues.

"I can't climb trees." I lie.

Katniss begins to climb down the tree she's in, and Loverboy notices.

"Katniss, stay up there. She'll kill you!" he says.

Before I can stop myself, I laugh.

"What's so funny, District Two?" says Loverboy.

"The fact that you think I'll kill her." I say. Oops. I should probably think before I speak. I'm also forgetting the fact that this is on national television. He raises his eyebrows, thinking I'm lying. I stand, and take off the jacket all of my knives are in.

"Do you believe me now, Loverboy?" I say.

"But…what? Why are you…? This is just…" he fumbles.

I put the jacket back on, and sit down. He grows wary again.

"What are you going to do if another tribute shows up, Loverboy? I can't exactly be weaponless." I point out.

"My name isn't 'Loverboy'. It's Peeta." he says.

I shrug my shoulders, and he stares at me, remembering what I said earlier.

"You really won't kill her?" he asks.

"She won't." says Katniss, who has already made her way to the ground.

"How do you know that, Katniss? She's a Career, they're very manipulative." says Peeta.

"Yeah, they also have ears." I say sarcastically.

Katniss laughs, which brings a smile to my face. A genuine one. I can't remember the last time I'd smiled properly. Katniss walks past Peeta, and sits next to me.

"Hey, Fire Girl." I joke.

"Hey." she says.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!" yells Peeta frantically. "Katniss, explain." he finishes, calmer than beforehand.

"Clove and I are…what are we?" she says, and looks at me, confused.

"I don't know." I reply. "Friends?" I put forward.

She shakes her head. Ouch, that hurt.

"More than that." she says.

I smile a little bit, and look at her.

"Maybe we're…" she trails off.

"Dating?" I finish.

"Yeah." agrees Katniss.

Peeta stares at us in disbelief, mouth hung open. I laugh.

"You'd better close your mouth, Loverboy. You'll catch bugs." I say.

He just stands there, staring.

"How long?" he asks.

"What?" says Katniss.

"How long has this been going on?" he asks.

"The night the scores were going to be televised, I went up to the roof to be alone, because I screwed up hugely with the Gamemakers. Clove was up there, and I was going to leave, but she was there for me, and then I kissed her. She got all mad and stormed off, and about an hour later she came back, and told me I'd got an eleven. Then, she kissed me. We spent quite a while kissing. That's when it started, I guess." says Katniss. "And," she continues. "When you announced you had a crush on me the interview night, Clove got mad and told me she was going to kill me, and I kissed her, and told her I could never hurt her, but she could do what she wanted." she finishes.

"Yeah," I say. "Sorry about that." I tell her.

"It's okay." she says.

"And sorry about throwing the knife in the bloodbath. I was just making sure you had something to defend yourself with." I say.

"It's come to use so far, so, thanks." she says, when her head turns to the distance, and she quickly clambers back up the tree. _Damn! I forgot to ask her about her leg._ I go to the small first aid kits I carry with me in case of emergencies, and find some burn cream. At least it'll help her a little. I climb the tree quickly, and pass it up to her.

"I can't bear to see you hurt." I say. "It'll help a little; I'm not sure how much, though." I quickly kiss her on the forehead and climb down. Good thing I can climb quickly, too, because as soon as I hit the ground, Cato and the others come parading back to the tree.


	9. The Reckless And The Brave

Katniss' POV

It's nightfall. The conversation with Clove has lifted my spirits, although I can't help but think Peeta is mad at me. You know, for falling in love with a Career. The conversation was most likely broadcasted, so now, all of Panem knows that I don't love Peeta. I love Clove. I look down, and see her throwing knives at a lizard in the faint light of the Career's torches. I used some of the burn cream she gave me, which soothed the pain in my leg, but it would take the high-tech medicine from the Capitol to heal it properly. I see Cato and Glimmer snuggling by the fire. I snort. Cuddling? In the Hunger Games? It takes me a moment to realize that's what Clove and I would be doing if we were allies, and if I wasn't stuck up this damn tree. I should've ran, when I heard Cato and the others coming during my talk with Clove and Peeta. But I couldn't, because I knew that they'd take out the fact I'd gotten away on Peeta, or worse, Clove. I scan my surroundings. That's when I see the eyes in the tree next to mine. Rue! How long has she been there? Did she see the conversation between Clove, Peeta and I? Her small hand noiselessly leaves the tree, and points to something above my head. I look up, and through the branches, I see it. A wasps nest. I look back up at Rue, who makes a sawing motion with her hand, and points down to the Careers. I understand. She wants me to drop the nest full of wasps on the Careers, ending up in me killing off a few people, and getting away. I think, and decide I'm going to do it during the anthem. I look down at Clove, knowing I could kill her by doing this. If that happens, I wouldn't be able to live with myself, knowing I'd killed my…girlfriend? But I know I have to drop the nest on them if I want to live. I climb up, and position myself near the nest. That's when I realize that these aren't ordinary wasps. They're Tracker Jackers. Their venom causes terrible hallucinations and in extreme cases, death. The anthem begins to play, and I begin to saw, occasionally looking up at the sky. No deaths today, but that's okay, because the audience will be riveted, with me stuck up the tree and the merciless Careers down below. I get about ¾ of the way through the branch when the anthem stops. I have to retreat back down to my branch. I'll drop it in the morning. I'll sneak up when they're sleeping and finish cutting the branch. I notice that all of the Careers are sleeping, with Clove on guard. I can see her through the branches, watching my every move. I quietly start to sneak down the tree, but she shakes her head and climbs up to me.

"Trying to kill me off, huh?" she laughs.

"I was going to warn you." I say.

"Promise?" she says, batting her eyelashes and putting on a childish voice.

"Yes!" I say through my laughter.

"Okay. Wake me up in the morning before you finish cutting the branch, I'll leave then." she says. "And Katniss, stay safe."

"I will." I say.

"You'll probably get stung at least once, doing this, you know. If I don't, I'll find you, and take you somewhere safe." she says.

"Thank you." I whisper.

"I love you." she says.

She kisses me and then begins to climb back down.

"I love you too." I reply.

She gets to the ground again, and takes her place against the tree Rue is in. Rue! I'd forgotten about her. I turn to where her eyes previously were, and I see her staring at me, a confused look on her face. She hops from a branch in her tree, onto mine.

"What was that all about? Why didn't she kill you?" Rue asks.

"Because…because she loves me." I admit.

"Do you love her back?" she asks.

"Yes." I say.

"But she tried to kill you at the bloodbath!" says Rue.

"Actually, no. She was making sure I wasn't completely defenceless and threw me a knife." I persist.

I look down and see Clove watching us, listening to our conversation with an amused grin. Rue follows my gaze, and her eyes widen in fear. Clove smiles at her, and Rue goes back to being confused.

"She's not as scary as you think, you know." I say.

With that, Rue hugs me, and disappears further into the woods, hopping from tree to tree.

Clove's POV

I see the small girl from District Eleven up in Katniss' tree, talking to her. I listen into their conversation.

"But she tried to kill you at the bloodbath!" says the girl.

"Actually, no. She was making sure I wasn't completely defenceless and threw me a knife." reasons Katniss.

I grin, actually rather amused by their conversation. Katniss and the small girl look down at me. The kid looks quite scared, so I smile at her for reassurance. Katniss says something else to the girl, who hugs her and leaves. I get up, and walk towards where I see the little girl climbing down from the tree. She gets to ground level, and I tap her on the shoulder. She turns, and starts shaking in fear.

"Calm down, kid, I'm not going to hurt you." I say.

"I don't know whether or not to trust you." she says.

"Katniss does." I reason.

"But how do I know you're not just pretending to love her?" she points out.

"Because I'd never do that to her." I say.

There's a silence.

"What's your name, kid?" I ask.

"Rue." she replies.

"Look, if anything happens to me tomorrow, promise me you'll take care of Katniss?" I plead.

"What?" says Rue, seemingly shocked over the realization that I actually do care about Katniss.

"Take care of her. If I die, make sure she's happy. Hell, even let her run around with Loverboy if that'll stop her being sad." I say.

"I don't-" Rue stutters.

"Please." I cut in.

"I'll look after her." she says.

"Promise?" I say.

"Promise." she confirms.

"Thank you, Rue." I say, before walking off back to the camp.


	10. Breakdown

Katniss' POV

I wake before the Careers do, and I look down to see Clove's sleeping form. I can't get over how adorable she looks. _Life first, fangirling over Clove's cuteness later._ I cut a bit of bark off from the tree and throw it down at her. She stirs, and I repeat the process. She wakes up properly, picks up her already packed up backpack, and gets up.

"I'll be nearby." say says up to me quietly.

I nod, and when she's out of view, I work on the branch again. I continue to saw, and eventually, the knife breaks through the branch, and I shove it as far towards the Careers as possible. It's mayhem. The Careers all jump up, not even noticing that Clove is missing in all the panic. Cato, Marvel and Peeta all get up and run. I hear cries of 'to the lake!' and realize they're going to jump into the water and kill off the wasps that are tracking them. Glimmer, however, isn't so lucky. Many wasps sting her, and she's eventually overpowered. I climb down from the tree dizzily, having gotten stung once or twice myself. I see Glimmer's body on the floor. She's almost unrecognizable. No-one would believe that this is the same girl from the interview night. The one who looked beautiful in her interview dress. I push the thought from my mind, and start to make work on getting the bow and arrows from her. I unlatch her swollen fingers from the bow, and then pull it from her grasp. I then roll her onto her back, and unhook the arrows from around her. I turn tail and run away from the scene, when I see Peeta crashing through the bushes. I search desperately for Clove, and find her, sitting on a rock, sharpening her knives. I run over to her and hug her, but then I fall backwards and black out.

People don't over exaggerate the horrors of Tracker Jacker venom. How many times do I see Gale, Prim and Clove die? I lose count. Every time I wake up, and think it's over, I fall into the surreal world of the hallucinations again. I open my eyes, and wait for the next hallucination, but it doesn't come. I sit up, and feel a stiffness in my joints. I wonder how many people have died in the, what, days that I've been asleep? I sit up, and see a person duck behind a tree. I stand and walk over. I'm met by Rue. I grab her hand, and slowly walk her over to where I'd been laid a few minutes ago.

"Fill me in, Rue." I say, smiling at her so she doesn't get the wrong impression.

"The girls from One and Two died, and so did the boy from Ten." she says.

I almost have a heart attack.

"Clove's dead!?" I scream. I'm about to start crying, when Rue speaks up again.

"Woah, Katniss! Calm down. She's fine." says Rue.

"Then why did you say she was dead?" I question.

"I wanted to see your reaction." she says, laughing.

"That's not funny." I snap.

I sigh, and then I get worried.

"She is okay though, right? She's not injured at all?" I ask.

Rue is about to answer, when a voice across from us speaks.

"See for yourself."

I look up and see Clove standing there, smirking. I automatically jump up and kiss her softly.

"Woah, get a room!" giggles Rue.

Clove rolls her eyes and I laugh, and then go back to kissing her.

"Rue told me you were dead, and I flipped out." I say.

"I know, she did the same to me yesterday. I nearly stabbed the kid." she responds.

"She's not lying." says Rue.

I find Clove's hand, and link it with my own, then I pull her over to where Rue is sat, swinging our arms back and forth merrily.

Clove's POV

_She's so cute. _I think to myself as she drags me along, swinging our arms cheerily. We get to the log Rue is sat on, and she sits down, and before I can protest, pulls me onto her lap. Rue laughs.

"Aw, look at you two!" she giggles.

I start to blush, hard, which makes Rue laugh even more. _God, sometimes I can't stand this kid._ I look at Katniss, and plant a kiss on her cheek, before standing up, then sitting back down next to her, rather than on her knee. _Which was strangely comfortable, might I add._

"You guys are cute." says Rue.

"You mean it?" asks Katniss.

"Yeah. If you guys get married, it'll be like Clove's your husband!" says Rue.

"Husband?!" I remark.

"Yeah, because you're more like a guy, and Katniss is more feminine." explains Rue.

I shrug, because the kid's got a point. Katniss stands up.

"I'm going hunting." she says.

"Count me in." I reply quickly.

"Not for people, Clove." she sighs.

"Anything to get me away from that kid." I say.

"Ahem. I am right here, you know." she says.

"Yes, and you're also very annoying." I mock.

Katniss rolls her eyes at us.

"Clove, stop acting like a child." she scorns.

"Me?! Try telling her that." I say.

"Clove." she warns.

"But she's the one who—" I don't get to finish, because she cuts me off.

"Clove, if you don't shut up I'll dump your sorry ass." she says.

I shut up after that, because I really do love her. Even though I know she wouldn't.

"Rue, you wait up in that tree whilst Clove and I hunt."

"Ooh, you two don't want me getting in on your 'alone time', huh?" she jokes.

Katniss scowls.

"Told you she's annoying." I mutter.

She grabs me by the arm and drags me through the woods.

"I'm going to go set some snares, you go and knife us some meat, okay?" she commands.

"Okay." I say.

"And no killing tributes unless they attack you!" she calls.

"Yes, mom." I say sarcastically.

Before I go, I turn and hug her.

"You wouldn't really break up with me, right?" I ask.

"Not for all the money in the world." she says.

I let go of her, smile, and set off to find some food.


	11. My Friends Over You

Peeta's POV

I wander through the woods aimlessly, wanting to find Katniss. I think about the conversation her, Clove and I had. Not that I was angry at her, but at that damn Career. How could she pick her over me? I saved her life! I kick a rock angrily and wince when it hurts my foot. That's when I hear some slow footsteps. The Careers! They've come back to finish me off! I quickly jump behind a rock, and then I see Clove walk into the clearing. I could finish her off right here, and then Katniss can be with me. But if I really love Katniss I should let her be happy. How do I know she's happy with Clove, though? That conversation where they acted like they loved each other could've all been an act. If I kill Clove, Katniss will take a while to get over it, but then I can make her happy. I get ready to lunge, when the first knife catches me in the shoulder of my jacket, pinning me to the tree. I struggle to get free, when Clove walks over, and holds a knife to my throat.

"Hello, Loverboy." she says.

"Trying to kill me, so you can have Katniss all to yourself?" she asks sweetly.

The tone of voice she's using is scaring the hell out of me. I don't respond, so she takes that as a yes.

"Aw, isn't that cute. Loverboy wants his other 'star-crossed lover' back. Too bad that isn't going to happen." she grins.

She pulls the knife back, about to stab me in the stomach. I brace myself, but then a voice behind Clove speaks up.

"Clove, let him go." it says.

She looks round to see Katniss, and she obediently pulls the knife from the tree. Katniss walks over to me.

"What did you do to make her attack you?" she asks.

"Nothing. She just tried to kill me for no reason." I lie.

"Is that true, Clove?" she says.

"No. He was going to kill me, so he could get to you and live 'happily ever after' or whatever." sneers Clove.

"You've got to stop being so paranoid, Clove." she says.

I take this chance to do something that would really wind Clove up. I move from the tree, and I walk over to Katniss. I look her in the eye for a few seconds, and then kiss her. Clove's knife hit me in the leg, and then I'm pinned on the ground by her. Katniss calmly lifts Clove off.

"Katniss! He kissed you. You're mine. I have to kill him because he'll get in the way of that." says Clove.

Katniss rolls her eyes at Clove.

"You can't just kill every single person that looks at me!" she yells.

"He didn't look at you, he kissed you. That's a whole new low, even for him. Kissing someone else's girlfriend. You just don't do that!" Clove yells.

Katniss looks a little happy that Clove called her her girlfriend, but she tries to hide it with more anger. An argument breaks out, but then Katniss marches over to me, grabs me by the wrist, and drags me away from the scene. The last thing I see is Clove stabbing anything is her way as she storms off in the other direction.

Rue's POV

I wait in the tree for Katniss and Clove to come back. I don't see why they're taking so long, but I guess they haven't found us any meat yet. I sit and wonder why they aren't back yet, when Clove storms into the camp with a psychotic grin on her face. The grin soon fades, and she sits down on the log looking sad. I climb down the tree and slowly walk towards her, knowing what she's like in a fit of rage. I sit down next to her, and put an arm around her. She hadn't heard me coming, and she looks up from the ground.

"You and Katniss had a fight, didn't you?" I ask.

"Yes." she replies.

Before I can say anything else, she becomes that mad Career I thought she was before I found out about her and Katniss.

"She left me for her other District Twelve rat. But like I care. Cato and I can hunt them down and kill them together. 'star-crossed lovers' hah, how cute?" she sneers.

"You're going back to the Careers?" I ask in shock.

She doesn't answer, and gathers up her things. She stands, turns, and stalks off in the direction of the Cornucopia.


	12. Decoy

Katniss' POV

I find a cave and help Peeta inside. I wonder what Clove is doing right now. It's cute how she got all protective. And, she called me her girlfriend! I can't help but be happy about that. But she did try to kill Peeta for no reason, and he is my friend, so I feel obliged to help him.

"Here, lay down. You'll be safe." I say.

"My leg really hurts, Katniss." he says.

"I can tell." I reply.

There's an awkward silence, then Peeta speaks.

"Why do you like her, Katniss?" he asks.

"Who?" I ask, not wanting to answer.

"Clove. She's a Career. You shouldn't trust her." he says.

"I'd trust her with my life." I say.

"Why did you side with me then?" he questions.

"You're my friend." I say.

"Oh, come on, Katniss. Everyone knows you like me. So just admit it!" he exclaims.

"I don't!" I scream back.

Then he leans up and kisses me, and I push him off. I want to leave, go back to Clove and Rue. Rue! I'd forgotten about her. I jump up, and walk to the entrance of the cave.

"Katniss, don't go! I'm sorry." Peeta apologizes.

"I'm finding Rue." I say, before walking out of the cave.

I run back to the tree I'd told her to wait in, and she climbs down quickly.

"Katniss!"

"Rue, I'm sorry for—" I don't get to finish, because Rue cuts me off.

"Clove went back to the Careers." she says.

My throat tightens, and I don't know what to say. I don't even known what to feel, but apparently my eyes do, because tears start to fall. Rue grabs hold of my hand.

"It doesn't mean she hates you, you know. She's just angry. I'm sure she'll cool down in a few days." says Rue.

"You don't get it! Everything was fine until…until Peeta showed up. It's his entire fault!" I sob.

"What happened?" asks Rue softly.

"I found Clove about to kill Peeta, and I stopped her. He said he did nothing to provoke her, and I believed him. He kissed me, which made Clove flip out, and then she stabbed him in the leg. Clove and I got into a fight, and I walked off with Peeta. I should've sided with her!" I remark.

"Well, when she came back here, she looked sad, but then got really psychotic and stormed off to the Cornucopia, where the other Careers are." says Rue.

"Then that's where I'm going." I say.

Rue insists I can't go alone. She tells me of the Career's camp, and the good spying places. She also tells me that all of their supplies are piled up in a pyramid, just left out all by itself. It's clear that it's booby-trapped somehow. Rue and I formulate a plan, in which Rue lights decoy fires to drive the Careers away from their camp. Then, I destroy the supplies whilst they chase us. We get the three decoy fires set up, and agree on a signal. I set off on my trek towards the Career's camp.

Clove's POV

I sit near the lake next to Cato, who seems to be sleeping right now. Our supplies are piled up in a pyramid with the mines placed around them; Cato and Marvel were smart enough to get the boy from District 3 to re-activate them. I see something out of the corner of my eye, another tribute, perhaps, and turn towards it. I see someone duck behind a bush. I want to go after them, but don't. I have no idea why.

"Guys, look!" yells Marvel, which wakes Cato.

Cato and I both look up to where he's pointing, and see thick smoke fading into the sky. We both jump up, grab our weapons, and run in the direction of the smoke, with Marvel following behind us. When we get to the fire, we don't see an unsuspecting, snivelling tribute. It's a decoy. A trap. I brace myself for the attack that's sure to follow, when we see another line of smoke. Marvel and Cato run off towards it, and I have no choice but to follow. Then, I hear the explosions. We all stop, turn, and run back to our camp, where we see the remains of our supplies. Cato completely loses it, and snaps the neck of the boy from 3. Marvel clears off, to go check his nets. I think that another tribute attempted to steal some supplies, and got blown up. But as I'm going through the wreckage looking for anything I can salvage, I see half of a burnt arrow on the ground, and that's when I realize what she's done. The anger inside me grows again, and I run off to finally get rid of the Girl On Fire once and for all.


	13. Do You Want Me (Dead?)

Clove's POV

I storm through the woods for what seems like hours, hunting for Katniss and Loverboy. No doubt they blew up the supplies. I scoff. She really wants to be killed, doesn't she? I hear two cannons, and automatically run off in the direction of the sound. When I get there, I don't expect to see what I do. I see Marvel, crumpled on the ground with an arrow sticking out of his neck. I look in the other direction, and see Katniss picking flowers. I grin devilishly and creep up behind her. I'm about to stab her, when I see Rue's body. My mouth hangs open in an "O" shape, and all of a sudden I'm on the ground, helping Katniss pick flowers. Her arms are around me in a matter of seconds, and in that one gesture, all of my anger towards her disappears. She pulls away, and continues her flower picking, with tears streaming down her cheeks. I put my hand under her chin and lift her head up. I lean in for a kiss, and she stops the crying for a while. I hand her a small bouquet of flowers, and she smiles gratefully. She arranges them on Rue's body, as a final act of sentiment. I walk over to her when she's finished, and put an arm around her shoulder.

"We need to leave now, Katniss. They have to collect the bodies." I say gently.

She nods, and we leave in silence.

"Where's your camp?" I ask.

"In a cave by the river." she says quietly.

I slowly grab her hand, and she guides me there. We arrive at the cave, and I'm met by a face I most certainly don't want to see.

"Katniss! What the hell is she doing here?!" yells Peeta. "She'll kill me! Don't you understand?!"

Katniss ignores him, and sits on the cave floor. I frown at him, and sit next to her, holding her in my arms.

Peeta's POV

I can't help but feel afraid of Clove. After everything I've done, she'll definitely kill me. Hopefully she'll kill me while I'm asleep, but somehow, I know she wants me to suffer. I stare at her and Katniss cuddled up on the opposite side of the cave, and feel a surge of jealously. Katniss looks up.

"Rue died." she says to me.

Now I understand why she's so distant.

"Oh. I'm sorry." I say.

"You're kidding, right?" scoffs Clove.

"What?" I respond bitterly.

"She just lost her ally, no, even more than that, friend, and all you're going to do is say 'I'm sorry'?" she sneers.

"I…" I'm speechless.

"Think, Loverboy." she says, rolling her eyes.

Katniss moves out of Clove's arms and walks over to me. Clove follows, though, as if she's some sort of lost puppy. Katniss smiles at how 'cute' she probably thinks Clove is right now, whereas I keep quiet.

"Peeta, it's okay. Only one comes out, right?" she says half-heartedly.

As if on cue, Claudius Templesmith's voice booms throughout the arena.

"Attention, remaining tributes! There has been a slight…rule change. Two tributes may win if they are the last standing. That is all."

The announcement ends and we're all sat in shock. I'm about to hug Katniss, until I see Clove slowly reaching for a knife.

Katniss' POV

I sit in awe at the rule change. Clove and I can both live! But what about Peeta? I see Clove has already reached solution, and her hand slowly moves towards a knife in her jacket. I leap on her, and she seems to think I'm attacking her, as she's about to flip me over and pin me, when I kiss her. She looks up at me, relief flooding into her amazing green eyes. I move off her, and hold her hand.

"I saw what you were going to do, and I had to stop you." I say.

"Because you want to go home with him." she…questions? I don't know, it was more of a statement, as if she's already concluded that I'm going to choose Peeta. Which I'm not, for the record.

"Nope." I say.

She smiles at me, which is a rare occurrence. I find myself smiling back. I always smile when Clove does. It's like it's contagious. I see Peeta staring at us angrily, clearly jealous. Clove walks over to him, and he becomes riddled with fear. To my surprise, she pulls a first aid kit out of her pocket.

"Here. For your leg." she says, passing it to him, before moving over to me. He stares at her, astounded.

"But-But you hate me!" he points out.

"That's very accurate." she responds.

"Then why did you give me this?" he says, holding up the first-aid kit.

"You ask too many questions, Loverboy." she says, rolling her eyes.

He looks at her, wanting her to continue, and she does.

"I gave you it, because Katniss obviously doesn't like that you're hurt. Plus, I was the one who gave you that wound, so it's the least I could do." she says.

I look at the astonished look on Peeta's face, and try not to laugh.

"Told you she's not as bad as you think." I say.


	14. Save Yourself, I'll Hold Them Back

Clove's POV

I wake up to Katniss and Peeta frantically shaking me. I have no idea what's going on, and the only thing I can register is the scared look on Katniss' face.

"What is it, love?" I say to Katniss.

"Cato. He's hunting us because he thinks we're torturing you or something. He was outside the cave a minute ago. I was hunting and he saw me. We have to move!" she splutters.

I stand up and slowly walk to the entrance of the cave, when Cato comes crashing through the bushes. Without thinking, I grab Katniss by the wrist, and run, leaving Loverboy on his own. _Screw him. I have to keep Katniss safe. Two can win, and it's going to be us. _The last thing I see is Cato lunging at Loverboy.

"We have to go back!" Katniss cries.

"We can't, I'm not letting you get hurt." I say harshly.

"Please!" Katniss whimpers.

I sigh, and let go of her arm.

"Wait here." I command.

She nods weakly, and sits down by a tree. I quickly run back, and see Cato pinning Loverboy to the ground. Loverboy can see me, and I can tell he's scared. Cato stabs Loverboy in the leg, causing him to cry out in pain. Before he can do anything else, I throw a knife, which lodges itself in Cato's back. He roars in pain and anger, and turns to see his assailant. I smirk, and a look of betrayal crosses his face, he lunges at me, but a second too late, as the second knife implants itself in his skull. He drops to the ground, and a cannon booms. I casually stroll over to a trembling Loverboy, and slowly but surely, lead him to where Katniss is.

"You saved him." says a bewildered Katniss.

I nod. I'd honestly do anything for her. Even if it involved risking my life in the process.

"Thank you." murmurs Loverboy.

"Thank Katniss." I say.

"Huh?" he replies.

"If it wasn't for her, I've let Cato slice you up." I say.

Katniss decides it's a good time to change the subject. Can't say I disagree.

"Who's left now?" she asks.

"The girl from five and the boy from eleven." I say.

"How are we going to do this?" asks Peeta.

"Do what?" asks Katniss.

"Take them out." I say.

Loverboy nods, and Katniss stares at him.

"Peeta, what the hell?" she yells.

Katniss' POV

I can't believe Peeta. He's already making plots to kill the other tributes. These games have changed him. A lot. I grab Clove, and storm off, leaving him on the ground, injured and unable to move. I hope another tribute 'takes him out'.

"Tributes! There will be a feast tomorrow, at the Cornucopia. Each of you needs something, desperately. We plan on being generous hosts. Be at the Cornucopia for sunrise." booms Claudius Templesmith's voice.

Clove turns to me.

"We have to go." she says.

"Why? We have everything we need." I say.

"This feast is to draw us together. If we go, we can guarantee we'll be out of the arena tomorrow." she says.

I consider her logic for a while, and decide to go for it.

By sunrise, we're at the Cornucopia. A table, with 4 individual backpacks is visible on the plain, each with a number on it. There's on with a 2 on, for Clove, considering Cato is dead. The other 3 packs have the numbers 5, 11 and 12 on. I'm almost certain that the thing in my district's pack is medicine for Peeta's leg. It's almost funny how, as soon as it's healed from Clove's attack a while ago, Cato decides to injure him there. As if on cue, Peeta is hobbling out, desperate to get the table. Before I can stop her, Clove is running at him, and pinning him to the ground. What happens next is a blur. I see a huge shape towering over Clove and Peeta, and suddenly, Clove is hanging six feet off the air, imprisoned in Thresh's grasp.


	15. Painting Flowers

Katniss' POV

I can't move. Clove is screaming my name, but I'm frozen in place. I register my hands moving towards my bow and arrows. I string an arrow into place, and pull back on the bowstring. Thresh slumps down on the floor, dead, Clove falling out of his arms and onto the ground. She hasn't moved yet, and I worry. What if the fall broke her neck? I run out from my hiding place and lean over her. I shake her, like you should never do to an injured person, but I'm too frantic to care. I feel someone poke me from behind. It's Peeta. By now, the tears are falling, and I'm in hysterics.

"Katniss, can you get our bag from the table, please?" he asks calmly.

"NO!" I scream. "YOU WANT ME TO LEAVE SO YOU CAN HURT CLOVE!"

"Katniss, it's for the best that she dies. We can-" before he can finish his sentence, he's coughing up blood and slumping to the ground. I look up, and see the foxed-face girl from District Five behind him, pulling the knife from his back. She grins at me slyly, and mouths 'you're next'. My eyes go wide at the pack of muttations running across the plain. I turn to grab Clove's injured body, and realise she's no longer there. I cry out in despair, and I'm about to give up, and let the mutts take me. At least, until I see the pair of familiar green eyes looking down on me from the top of the Cornucopia.

"Katniss, climb up!" Clove yells, holding her hand out to me. With her help, I manage to scramble to the top of the Cornucopia. Foxface appears out of nowhere, and attempts to push Clove off the edge and into the mutt pack. Unfortunately for her, Clove was trained for this sort of situation. Foxface is pinned down in seconds.

"Well, well. Trying a little sneak attack, were we? Too bad it didn't work." Clove grins sadistically.

"Maybe, if you hadn't have done that, I'd have dealt with you myself. Unfortunately for you, there's a hungry pack of mutts down there, and I want the audience to feel…satisfied with this years games."

And with that, Foxface was pushed over the edge and into the mutts. That's when I notice the eerily human quality to the pack. I gasp.

"Clove, it's them!" I say.

"Who?" she asks, without taking her eyes off of the gory scene below us.

"The other tributes." I say.

Clove scans over the mutts, and her eyes widen in realization.

"Oh my god!" she yells.

I look away from the mutts and Foxface, and shiver. Clove walks over to me, and puts an arm around me, which I shrug off. She shoots me a quizzical look, and I turn away.

"What's wrong, love?" she asks gently.

"Why did you do that?" I ask coldly.

"Do what?" she questions.

"Push Foxface into the mutts. You could've just killed her quickly. It'd get us out of the arena quicker." I point out.

"If it was the other way around, she would've done the same." she replies.

I continue to refuse to look at her, and she speaks up.

"Just know this. If it'd been you who'd tried to push me off, I'd have let you. I love you, Katniss." she says.

I finally turn, and press my lips to hers.

"I love you too, Clover." I say.

"Clover?" she asks.

"A nickname." I say.

"You're cute." she laughs.

"I know."

Clove then stands up and walks over to the edge of the Cornucopia. For a moment, I think she's going to jump, but she throws a knife down in the direction of Foxface, initially putting her out of her misery. The mutts then become bored, and run off deep into the woods. A hovercraft emerges to collect Foxface's remains, and I brace myself for our release from the arena.

"Tributes! Congratulations on making it into the final two. Unfortunately, the earlier rule change of two victors has been revoked, after closer examination of the rule book. Good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favour!" booms Claudius Templesmith.

Clove and I stare at one another for a moment, trying to take in what just happened. She slowly walks over to me, and I back away in fear.

"Katniss, calm down. I'm not going to hurt you." she says.

I feel a wave of guilt hit me. She wasn't going to kill me.

"I'm sorry." I choke out.

She embraces me into a hug, and kisses me lightly on the cheek. She stands, but I pull her back and kiss her softly on the lips. If I had to define perfection, it'd definitely be that one kiss.

"Do what you have to do, Katniss." she says.

I look at her in confusion.

"What?" I question.

"Kill me. Go home to Prim and your mother. They need you." she says. Tears start to form in her eyes and my heart breaks.

"No." I say.

"Then I guess I'm just going to have to kill you." she says, as the sadistic grin reforms.


	16. Bruised and Scarred

Clove's POV

"Then I guess I'm just going to have to kill you." I say menacingly.

The fear in Katniss' eyes is breaking my heart, but I have to do this. I have to convince her I'm going to kill her, so she'll defend herself, and if all goes according to plan, kill me. She has to go home.

"Clove, please don't!" she pleads.

I lunge, and pin her down, but loosely enough that she'll be able to struggle free and overpower me. She's shaking. I want nothing more than to drop the knife I'm hold to her throat and hug her. But I can't if I'm going to convince her to kill me.

"Fight back, you coward!" I growl.

"I can't." she says.

I continue to hold the knife to her throat, and a few beads of blood are starting to appear. Normally, I would be enjoying this, but it's making me physically sick to think I'm causing harm to this perfect girl.

"Did you really think that I actually cared about you? Hah. Hell no, Fire Girl." I sneer. God, this is torture.

"So…so everything you said…was a lie?" she stutters.

"Correct. All so you'd be easy prey. I had to save you till last. The audience would enjoy it more. You're going to die, Fire Girl. Slowly and painfully, just like I promised." I smirk. I hate lying to her.

She struggles against my hold, and I loosen my grip even more. Yet, when she's about to break free, she stops.

"Go ahead, Clove. But before you do, just hear me out. Ever since I met you, I knew I loved you. The first time we kissed was the highlight of my entire existence. I'm glad I got to be with you for this short time, even if it was all fake. I just want you to know that I love you, and I'm sorry for whatever did to make you hate me so much. I really believed you loved me too." she sobs.

_I do, Katniss. I really do. More than anything in the world, _I reply mentally.

It's quite evident that she's not going to fight back any time soon, so I get off of her. I stand, and hold the knife to my own throat. I have to die here. Katniss must live. She has to win. No, scratch that. She has to become victor. Everyone knows by now that you don't win The Hunger Games. You become victor, but the Capitol still has power over you. No matter what. Hell, the Capitol even force victors to do terrible things. If Katniss gets out alive, all of that can change. Her fire has already enthralled those of the districts. Maybe that will give them the spark of hope they need, to fuel and entire rebellion. Hell, of course it can. She managed to win over a heartless Career. She could do anything.

"I love you too, Katniss. Say hi to Primrose for me." I say.

By the time I've slashed it across my neck, Katniss is too late to save me.

Katniss' POV

"Congratulations, to the victor of the Seventy-forth annual Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen from District Twelve!" rings out Claudius Templesmith's voice, followed by the applause from the Capitol. I don't care about any of that, though. All I care about is Clove. I run over to her, cradling her body in my arms. _Please don't be dead! _The hovercraft arrives, to collect me, I assume. I get picked up, Clove's body still in my arms. A few Capitol attendants come running over, trying to pry her from my arms. I turn into some sort of rabid animal, attacking them, clawing and biting. I can't let them take Clove from me. She's dead and it's my entire fault. I want to kill myself right now. I'm a monster. I got the girl I love killed!

"Come on, sweetheart." says the voice of my mentor, Haymitch Abernathy.

"No! Stop! LET GO OF ME!" I yell frantically.

I see the Capitol attendants walking off with Clove's body.

"CLOVE! NO! LET GO OF HER!" I scream.

I try to get out of Haymitch's grip, but it's too tight. Haymitch drags me away and throws me into a white room. I feel a sharp pain in my shoulder which I'm guessing is a sedative. As I black out, only one thought is rolling through my mind.

_A cannon didn't boom when Clove died. _


	17. The Only Hope For Me Is You

Katniss' POV

I wake up in a white room, unable to recall anything from the past few hours. Think, Katniss, think.

Prim was reaped for The Hunger Games.

You volunteered to take her place.

In the Capitol, you met Clove and fell in love with her.

Clove…why do I feel like something important happened? I think back to the last night in the arena. Foxface…she tried to kill Clove, but Clove killed her. Then Claudius Templesmith announced to rule change allowing two victors had been revoked. Then Clove tried to get me to kill her, but I refused, and she turned on me. She told me that she'd never loved me, but I saw through her. I knew she wouldn't do anything, and I couldn't do anything to her. Then…I don't know. A horrible thought comes to mind. Clove holding a knife to her own throat. Everything comes back and I'm in hysterics again, crying. The pain I feel right now is immense. A thought registers in my brain. The cannon! Every time a person dies, a cannon booms. There wasn't one for Clove. Even thought they probably forgot, due to getting caught up in the victor announcement, there's still the tiniest possibility that she didn't die. I know I'm probably latching onto false hope, but I've got to think positive. There's a noise at the door of the room, and my mentor, Haymitch walks into the room.

"Well, well. Congratulations, sweetheart." he mocks.

I don't respond, and instead shoot him a glare, which would've been effective if there weren't several tears still streaming down my face.

"Your prep team are coming down to help get you ready for your interview with Ceaser Flickerman." he says.

The interview! Damn, I forgot. Every year, after the games, the victor is supposed to have another interview with Ceaser, to celebrate their victory, yet I think it's just to torture them even more. The victor is forced to watch the recap of the games. I don't think I'm strong enough for that.

"I can't." I whisper.

"Well, you have to, sweetheart, so like it." he demands.

He turns to leave and most likely buy more alcohol, when I speak.

"Haymitch?" I ask quietly.

"Yes, sweetheart." he responds in annoyance.

"Did she make it?" I ask, tears forming in my eyes.

He fixes his eyes on me, and slowly shakes his head. I scream, and Haymitch tries to calm me, with no luck. There's a stabbing pain in my chest, and I look down, expecting to find another sedative, but there's nothing there. I guess you can genuinely feel your heart break. Cinna walks into the room, and Haymitch soon leaves me in his arms. I'm a sobbing mess. Cinna holds me, not saying a thing. I'm sure he wouldn't be able to find the right words. I cry for what seems like hours, and eventually Cinna speaks.

"Katniss, we have to get you ready now, okay?" he says gently.

I nod along with his words, because I know I have to do as he says. The rest of my prep team, Venia, Octavia and Flavius, walk into the room.

"What a mess you are, Katniss! I can't wait to clear you up and tell you all about what the Capitol thought of this year's game!" squeals Octavia.

I want to lunge at her, attack her. She comes in her after everything I've been through and says I'm a mess? She got her entertainment from me loosing the person I loved even more than Prim! Instead, I keep my mouth shut. There's no point in causing myself more trouble. My prep team start on my hair as Cinna leaves the room, and the usual pointless babble and annoying gossip ensues. I'm not paying attention, until Flavius says something that makes me want to scream.

"Oh my gosh, my favourite part of the whole thing was when the Career sacrificed herself for Katniss." he says.

There are murmurs of agreement from Venia and Octavia, however they all shut up when I start to scream and cry.

"YOU SICK PEOPLE!" I yell, rewarding me with startled looks from everyone.

"CAN'T YOU SEE THAT I LOVED HER, AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT HER AS IF SHE'S JUST SOME CREATURE USED FOR YOUR ENTERTAINMENT!" I continue.

My prep team continue to stare at me.

"You all disgust me." I finish, calmer than before.

The tears are back. Great. My prep team shakily finish getting me ready, before scampering out of the room. Cinna comes back in and wipes the tears from my eyes.

"Katniss, calm down, love." he says.

"Don't call me 'love'. She used to." I say.

He nods in understanding, and doesn't say anything else. We stand in a comfortable silence and he helps me get dressed for the interview. The dress he has designed is fire themed, as always, and sparkly. I end the silence.

"I don't think I'll ever be the same, Cinna. When she died, a part of me went with her." I say.

Cinna doesn't bother with the 'it'll be okay' or 'I understand', because he knows that it won't be okay, and he doesn't understand.

"Just stay strong, Katniss. And don't fear love in the future. Just be wary of it." he advises.

There's another silence, and then a sudden knock comes from the door. Haymitch comes in.

"Sweetheeart, it's time for your interview. A nice tip, though; try not to cry. The Capitol citizens will view you as weak." he says.

"I don't care what those monsters think of me." I say.

"I think you're forgetting who the monster really is, Katniss." he says.

I know what he's talking about. I'm the monster. I killed the only person I've ever truly loved. It's all my fault.

"It's all my fault. It's all my fault. It's all my fault." I begin to whisper. I think I'm going insane.

"Katniss, calm down." says Cinna, rubbing my back.

Tears are threatening to fall, yet I somehow manage to keep them on the inside. The buzzer goes off, and now I have to brace myself for what could only be summed up as torture.


	18. No Heroes Allowed

Katniss' POV

Several things happen at once, and before I know what's going on, I'm being pushed on a stage and helped into a chair by Caeser Flickerman. Once I'm sat down, I start to shake. I'm not sure whether it's nerves, fear or a combination of the two. All I know is that I'm not going to get through this interview without crying.

"Katniss! Congratulations on your victory! We're going to be watching a recap of the Games, then you're going to answer a few questions for me, okay?" says Caesar.

"Okay," I mumble.

"On with the tape!" calls out Caesar.

Suddenly, the backdrop behind me turns into a giant screen, and a picture of the Cornucopia appears on it. There are tributes running everywhere. I see the boy from District Nine fall down in front of me, and Clove throwing the knife into my backpack. My eyes are starting to sting from tears which are attempting to make an appearance. We get further on in the tape, to the part where I dropped the Tracker Jackers on the Careers. There's a recap of the conversation between Peeta, Clove and I, and the tears finally fall. Caesar looks over to me, and subtly passes me a tissue, which I use to wipe my eyes. We watch Glimmer's horrifying end with the Tracker Jackers, to which I end up gagging. I notice that while I'm out cold, Clove and Rue take care of me. Rue! It's sorry to say I'd forgotten about her for a short while. My eyes become teary again. Rue's death was terrible, and Peeta's was equally as bad, although, neither of them can compare to Clove's death. When we're finally at the part where I'm pouring my heart out to Clove, I have a breakdown. I fall to my knees and sob. No-one bothers to help me, until finally; I feel a hand on my shoulder. I hope its Cinna, or even Haymitch, because I can't stand the thought of one of those Capitol twits touching me.

"Calm down, love. People are staring." whispers a voice.

I shake my head.

"Don't call me that. Only she can." I snap.

"She is." the voice responds.

I look up, and see her crouched down in front of me, with a hand on my shoulder. My eyes go wide, and I begin to cry again, but not sad tears. Happy tears. I throw myself on her, knocking her onto the floor, and hug her tightly, still crying. I begin to kiss her, and instantly forget that I'm on national television. Luckily, Clove has the right mind to remind me.

"Katniss, love. You've got to finish the interview." she says gently.

"Okay." I whisper, smiling for the first time since I'd left the arena.

She holds my hand, and as I sit down, I notice that another chair has arrived. Clove sits in it, and grins at me. I smile back. Nothing else matters right now. Just her. I turn to see Caeser smiling at me.

"How cute. Young love!" he exclaims.

My hand is still linked with Clove's, and I don't plan on letting go any time soon.

"I can't believe you were willing to kill yourself for me." I say to Clove.

"It was the only way you'd be able to live. I value you over anything, love. You had to go home to your sister." she explains.

"Speaking of your sister…" says Caesar.

Prim comes running onto the stage, and jumps on me, giving me a hug.

"Hey, little duck!" I joke.

"Katniss! I missed you so much!" she squeals.

I turn to Clove, who is watching the scene unfold, with a slight smile on her face.

"Little duck, this is Clove." I say.

"Is she scary?" whispers Prim.

"She thinks she is, but she's not." I joke, which earns me a scowl from Clove.

Prim hops down from my lap, and slowly walks over to Clove. She then gives her a hug.

"Thank you for saving my sister." she says.

"No problem." Clove says quietly.

Prim is escorted off the stage, and we conclude the interview, with a few more questions such as 'Clove, what made you fall in love with Katniss?' and 'Katniss, what was it like when you thought she was dead?'. I answer that particular question with a rant about how much pain I was in when I thought I'd never see her again. When we're finally allowed off the stage, I throw myself into Clove's arms, and she holds me for quite a while.

"Don't ever do that again." I whisper.

"Do what, love?" she asks.

"Die for me." I say.


End file.
